Does Lamisil for Ringworm Treatment Work?
Ringworm (tinea) can be frustrating to treat because the infection may resist the remedies used to kill it or it might spread to other parts of the body. There are a number of natural remedies and medications you can use to treat the infection, but the prescription drug Lamisil is one of the more popular ones.
Lamisil is manufactured and marketed by the Novartis Corporation. It is sold in a number of countries like the United States, India, United Kingdom, Australia, and Venezuela and under several brand names including Corbinal, Terbisil, and Zabel. The active ingredient in the drug is terbinafine which is a synthetic antifungal substance that is effective against dermatophytes – the group of fungi that causes ringworm.
The drug can be taken orally to eliminate ringworm in the scalp, but it is generally used as a topical cream to treat athlete’s foot or as a powder to eliminate jock itch. The product boasts a high clinical cure rate when the drug is taken orally at 250mg doses once daily for seven days. When used topically twice per day, it can take up to two weeks before the rash goes away and another week to completely eradicate the fungus that caused it.
In 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new antifungal medication by Novartis called terbinafine hydrochloride to be used for children aged 4 and over. It comes in the form of granules that can be added to a child’s food to treat tinea capitis (ringworm of the scalp). This medication attacks the ringworm where it grows on the hairshaft.
Side Effects of Lamisil
Although Lamisil is effective at treating ringworm, it can cause side effects such as upset stomach, nausea, gas, diarrhea, headache, unpleasant taste in the mouth, and itching. More serious side effects that can occur include:
- Mood changes
- Joint pain or swelling
- Weight loss
- Flu symptoms
- Body aches
- Severe allergic reaction
Lamisil can also interact negatively with a number of other medications such as Coumadin, Prozac, MAO inhibitors, and beta blockers. If you are using any of these drugs, it is important to talk to your doctor first before using Lamisil to treat ringworm. Additionally, people with liver disease, kidney disease, or autoimmune disorders may need to be tested first to make sure they can use Lamisil safely.
Other Treatment Options
If you don’t want to take a chance on developing the side effects associated with Lamisil, there are a number of other natural treatment options available for curing ringworm. To find the best side effect free treatment for ringworm, read our reviews of several popular and effective remedies on the homepage.